Wall construction



May 22, 19,23.

- A. J MUELLER WALL CONSTRUCTION Patented May 22, 1923.

i V I 1,45 ,330- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-f:

AUGUST J. MUELLER, or crrrcaeo, ILLINOIS.

. WALL cousrnuorrron.

Application filedJanuary 5, 1 32 serialize. 527,155.

To allwhomz't concern; I

Be it known that I, AUGUST J. MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a lVall Construction, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to tile or block. construction, and more particularly to a unit made of cement or clay that is shaped so that when a plurality of units are assembled in tiers they are interlocked with each other and with any suitable metallic reinforcing device.

. More specifically my unit is adapted for use in the building or erection of chimneys, silos, elevators, bins and similar structures, although it is capable of use in connection with rectangular structures, such as foundations, Walls, and even partitions and the like. The primary object of this invention resides in providing blocks. or units thatuinterlock with each other and provide spaces between the units and the tiers so that vertical and horizontal reinforcing rods may be utilized therewithand after a portion, or the whole structure, has been erected the spaces may be filled with a moist cement that will, when set, be cast in a manner to provide a complete monolithic structure.

As'is well known a moistv or comparatively wet mixture of cement and aggregates provides, when dried out and set, a harder and more durable element than a mixture of a more plastic nature. Also the wet mixture may be easily poured, and requires no tamping or agitation in order to completelydistribute it to all corners and crevices of the cavity it is desired to fill. In the filling of hollow wall structures, it has heretofore been the practice to use the plastic mixture not; withstanding its requirement of tampingbe-v cause it has been found the wet mixture will invariably leak out of the joints between the blocks and run down the surfaces of the wall causing a considerable waste and resulting in an unsightly appearance;-

I have designed my unit so that the meeting edges of a plurality of units will provide interstices into which maybe force'da quantity of cement or mortar to fill the same and seal the structure between the units, after which a wet mixture of cement and aggregates may be poured into the inner hollow space between theopposite faces of the blocks and'will be retained against leakage. Many other objects will be. apparent to others after an understandinggofmy invention is had, and therefore need not be herein explained. I prefer to carry out my inven tion in substantially the manner-hereinafter describedyand asillustrated in the 'accompanying drawings that form a. par-thereof and which are, in asense, .me-re'ly diagram.-

Inatic for the purpose of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1. isa horizontalsectional view of afragment of a chimney or silo wall con structed with'my improved blocks.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 show:-

ing the manner of using my block for rec,- tangular structures such as foundations'and the like. a 1

Figure 3is avertical of the blocks, cent block, the View being taken on line -3-.3-, Fig. 1. Figure'l is-a perspective view of" a block. Referring to thedrawings, itwill be seen the blockpreferably comprises oppositely sectional view ofone disposed outer and inner platesor members,

5 and 6, respectively, that "are of corresponding shape and in the rectangular or straight wall construction (Fig; 3) are of the same dimensions, but in the curved wall construction (Fig.1), the inner. plate or member 6 isof slightly less width than, but the same height as the opposite outer member 5. A transverse vertical web or neck 7 connects the two members of the block adjacent opposite vertical edges of the respective memhere. The block might be described as of'a Z-section or distorted I-section, plates or members 5 and .6 forming the parallel arms or cross pieces of the 201- distorted I" and web 7 the connecting arm or body of the structures.- At the corners of the Z section or I-section the block has extensions 8 and 9 projectingin opposite directions that form continuations of the respective outer "and inner plates or members 5 and 6 so thatffsaid plates .or members are offset withrelatioii to each .other,'and these extensions; which are in substance vertical flanges, are rounded on their outer edges-and curved inwardly, as at 10 and 1 1, resp'ectively,-so that the end posite plate or member of the block.

and a fragment of an adja The opposite ends of the plates or mem- T bers are provided with rather abrupt hookshaped extensions that provide shoulders 12 and 13. at the ends of the "outer surfaces-of the respective members, said extensionscon tinuing inwardlv and away in a short curve (of segmental shape in cross-section), as indicated at 14 and 15 in the drawings. I prefer to provide grooves 16 upon the upper edges of members 5 and 6, and correspondingly shaped shoulders 17 in the lower edges of said members so that the tiers or superposed blocks will be interlocked with each other in the wall constructed therewith, and in laying awall I prefer to overlap or break joints as in the usual manner of tile and brick laying. The curvature of part 10and the adjacent portion of shoulder 12 and hooked end 1 1 is suchthat the blocks must be moved towards each other in an" oblique direction when being placed in position in stead of moving them straight or horizontally towards each other during the laying operation, and after being set in position a tapered crevice or interstice it will beprovided that extends inwardly from the outer surface of the wall between adjacent blocks and at the inner portion of the joint, be-

tween the blocks, is another crevice 3 so that a quantity of cement or mortar may be inserted in said crevices to seal the joints and form a key.

Upon the top of each tier or layer of blocks, I place a horizontal reinforcing'bar 18, andin order to accommodate the bar the upper edge of web 7 is preferably convexed,

as at19, to provide a recess for the bar, as

shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. Vertical reinforcing bars 2-0 are positioned adjacent web 7 of each block and in the respective tiers these rods will be disposed adjacent one side and the opposite side of alternate superposed blocks. After the wall has been either partially or wholly constructed in the manner hereinbefore described, a quantity of grout or wet, cement and aggregates is poured into the spaces bounded by the .outer andv inner members and the webs of the blocks. The mixture is fluid enough to pour down to the bottom of the wall past each web and entirely fill the spaces, and, crevices a: being sealed, acts as a calk and prevents the leakage of this wet mixture through the joints.

, There is little or no difference between the blocks forthe cylindrical walls for chimneys, silos and the like, and those for straight walls, except that in the latter instance a special corner block is utilized that has its outer plate or member'5 provided with a lateralextension 21 disposed. at right. angle to the plate to form the cornerof the wall; the end of this angular extension having the curvedend 8 to interengage with shoulder 12 and segmental portion l of the adjacent block, as seen in Fig. 2' of the drawings.

' WVhat I claim is: 1 1. A wall formed of blocks arranged in tiers, each block comprising an inner and an outer member spaced apart and connected byv a transverse web, the adjacent ends of contiguous members forming said wall havinginterfitting extensions whereby recesses are provided interiorly and exteriorly of each inner and outer member, plastic keys inserted in said'recesses' to seal the same, and a filling of semi-fluid materialpoured into the space between said inner'and outer members and retained therein by the keys to provide a monolithic structure. A

2. In a monolithic wall, a plurality of elements forming an integral partthereof',

each element provided with inner and outer members spaced bya connecting web,the

adjacent vertical edges of contiguous members 1n the wall havnig extensionsthat-interfit and provide recesses interiorly and.

exteriorly of said members, plastic keys inserted in said recesses whereby to seal the same and semi-fluid concrete deposited be tween said inner and outer members to. provide a solid structure therewith. 3.1n the construction of a solid wall structures a plurality of shaped elements for providing facing and reinforcement therefor each element comprising inner and outer face members, a connecting web spac ing said members, the ad acent vertical edges of contiguous face members having extensions for loosely inter-fitting with ad jacent elements whereby recesses are provided between the same, and plastic keys inserted in said recesses wvhereby the shell formed by said element is adapted to receive and retain concrete in semi-fluid cond1t1on and to provide therewith permanent integral facing solid structure. a

4. A wall formed of blocks arranged in courses, each block comprising inner and outer members spaced apart and connected, a segmentally shaped extension at one vertical edge of each member, an element at the opposite vertical edge of each member arranged to interiit with the segmentai ex and reinforcmeent for a tension of an adjacent block and provide niterstices therebetween, plastic keys sealing saidinterstices, and a filling of-semi-i fluid concrete poured in'to'the space between the inner and outer members and retained therein bythe keys to provide a monolithic structure.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, this 28th day of December,

' AUGUST J. MUELLER. 

